I have been to Bodie many times. The first time my husband and I came up the road from Mono Lake the path was deeply rutted. It was one crisp spring morning, the ground was still damp in spots from the melted snow. We didn�t see any sign of life except a covey of sage hens on Main Street. Deserted wagons, buckboards and sleds were scattered throughout the town. In the painting I was standing on the old stage road that went to Masonic: the little road to the west went to the cemetery. The old Methodist Church dated back to 1878. On my left and across the street was Hank Blanchard�s home where he brought his bride from Virginia City. Later he ran the Toll House between Bodie and Aurora. The white house on the same side of the road as the church was the Jim Cain residence. Partly visible on Main Street is the old Land Office, later used as a store: �Byrant and West�. (You can still make out part of the letters). In back of this, up the road, was the school house. William Bodey had discovered gold in the summer of 1859, but it was not until 1878 that the big rush to Bodie was on. The population expanded by the thousands. By 1880 it was reported that there were 20,000 people in Bodie. Her main street extended almost three miles in length. Her red-light district was well known and her Chinatown was one of the largest of any mining city. Eight stages came into Bodie daily. The fare to Carson City, Nevada was $20.00. Bodie even had a little railroad that ran 32 miles to Mono Mills for lumber. One of the directors was H.M. Yerington for whom the Nevada town of Yerington was named. Some sixty saloons, seven breweries, gambling halls, dance halls, dives, opium dens, shooting affrays and men of questionable character gave Bodie a bad reputation, but she had her stable side as well. Her mines produced almost $100.000.000! About the only thing she didn�t have were trees. Her shade was the shadows cast by buildings, for trees just wouldn�t grow in Bodie! In Mono County. Approximately 18 miles south of Bridgeport. Well marked with road signs. Dirt road for the last 12.5 miles through mountain terrain. Approach from Mono Lake is paved for 7 miles from Highway 395, then dirt for last 10 miles. Both roads are closed in winter months.

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January 10th, 2009

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